10 Family Day Weekend Activities Around Ottawa

Get ready, Ottawa! Many of the schools in the city are gearing up for a 4-day weekend to celebrating Family Day! You don’t have plans for this weekend? No problem! We have you covered with our guide of things to do and see around the city to make time fly by while you have fun with your family.

Whether you are a coin collector or love spending time with the family, the Royal Canadian Mint is the place to be this Family Day! They are inviting families of all kinds to enjoy free tours the Mint at their Ottawa location. Take pictures with the Million Dollar Coin and gold bar. No reservations are required, but the tours are on a first come, first serve basis, with the last tour being held at 4 pm.

Are you ready to get out of the cold for a bit during Family Day? The Museum of Nature is heating things up for families by making things tropical in their Activity Zone! Visitors can take part in various activities from being a junior scientist in their Explorers’ Tent to making their “spider monkey” slide down a zip-line. There is even a quiet area where kids can get comfy and enjoy reading books.

The Snow Exhibit at the Museum of History is inspiration behind the snow-themed fun for Family Day this year! Visitors can learn traditional Anishinabeg snowshoe-making techniques from Daniel “Pinock” Smith, and listen to La Ridaine’s French-Canadian folk music. Snow forts can also be constructed with Mega Bloks®, or have fun playing their huge toboggan version of the Snakes and Ladders board game.

5. Family Day on the Farm – Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm A fun day on the farm waits for families at the Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum! Crafts, demonstrations, butter tasting, meeting some of the animals and even an afternoon milking is scheduled for a day the family will not forget! You are also able to tie up your skates for some fun on the Museum’s ice rink!

Families will be entertained all day long while visiting the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum! Thomas Cadabra will wow visitors with his amazing magic tricks. You can learn how make a print of a Russian Soyez rocket, blast off to the stars while listening to an out of this world story, and so much more!

8. Winterlude – Various locations in the Ottawa-Gatineau region – February 2 – 19, 2018
One of Canada’s favourite celebrations will be back to entertain and enlighten revelers in its 39th season! From skating on the Rideau Canal, watching ice sculpting competitions or playing at North America’s largest playground, there are so many different activities those attending this festival can be a part of in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

Gatineau Park has so much to offer visitors during the winter! There are activities for families who like to explore nature at different speeds to enjoy themselves. For families that have a need for speed, Gatineau Park offers activities such as cross-country skiing, and snow biking as a pilot project this winter. For those who enjoy nature at a slower pace, there are also winter hiking trails available to discover! There are also many amenities for visitors to use while visiting the park to make their visit more comfortable and one to remember!

There are also various locations that offer skating and tobogganing fun for families to enjoy around the city throughout the winter that we have featured in our guide of Family Winter Activities.

Whether you want to get out and enjoy the outdoors or stay inside and keep warm, you can plan fun outings around Ottawa for Family Day this year. There are so many options to choose from, the only problem would be to pick which ones to take part in!

10 Family Day Weekend Activities Around Ottawa

Indoors or outdoors? Which type of activities do you and your family enjoy more?

My name is Lian Wright. Born in Toronto, I came to Ottawa as a student to study Political Science at Carleton University, and came away with an Honours Degree, and decided to stay. I'm a huge sports fan, have a love of reading, and like experiencing new things whenever I can. I am now a mother of three children (11, 1 and 7 months old) and am kept constantly on my toes.
My blog, Pieces of Me, is my way of sharing what I have enjoyed and encountered in my life so far as a mother. So far, being a mom has had it's expected ups and downs, but that's what makes being a parent so fulfilling for me. I've loved and learned from what's happened so far, and I can't wait to see what's in store for me next. I hope you enjoy the journey with me!